A New Start
by Matchin' Laces
Summary: She rushed to answer it, only to be disappointed when she didn’t see Gar on the other side, but Rob. Based off 'Avenue Q'. Formerly 'Moving On'.
1. Chapter 1

Notes: This story is inspired by my newest musical obsession of 'Avenue Q'. I got to thinking and it hit me that some of the characters matched fairly well of those in the musical. I thought that I'd try my hand at this. I do allow criticism, but please only if it's constructive criticism. No straight-out flames because you simply hate the story.

Keep in mind as you read this that it's simply for humor reasons. The plot probably won't be as intricate as most. The characters that the Teen Titans represent are not guaranteed to stay throughout the story. Some songs fit all the way through the story, but most won't. References to the songs will be made throughout this fic. This first chapter is pretty much just the prologue

Characters for this chapter:

Princeton – Raven

Brian – Robin

Christmas Eve – Starfire/Kory

Gary – Cyborg/Victor

Nikki (sp?) – Beast Boy/Gar

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or Avenue Q.

The violet-haired girl moved silently through the streets, glancing at the prices of the rentals as she passed through. She sighed once again, only seeing more zeroes than she could afford.

She had just gone through Avenue O and was nearing the rest of the alphabet of the apartment complexes. As it looked, she had no chance of finding anything in her price range.

Avenue P proved only slightly better than the one before, but the prices weren't low enough for her to live off what she had…at least until she could find a job. Her grip on the two suitcases she carried tightened as she struggled to move them onto the next street. As she rounded the corner, they fell from numbed fingers and her arms drifted uselessly to the side. She shrugged before sitting on the largest of the luggage pieces.

From down the street, she saw a group of people gathered on the sidewalk. Her eyes glanced over them, counting three in all. She sighed and concentrated her attention on a 'For Rent' sign posted on an apartment on the second floor of the decrepit building.

Her eyes instinctively widened upon seeing the money requested…and it was just per year! Her mind drifted from the numbness in her arms to the group of people gathered farther down the street. She forced herself to stand and slowly made her way over to them.

"Excuse me," she called out, wincing at the volume of her words. She preferred not to raise her voice unless needed.

A man with spiked black hair was the first to hear her, "Can I help you?" The other two surrounding him stopped their incessant talking and directed their attention to her.

"I'm looking for a place to live," she replied.

"Why are you looking out here," a tall redhead asked.

"Started in Avenue A," the violet-haired girl told her, "This is the cheapest I've seen so far."

"Well, then, welcome new friend," the redhead beamed, "My name is Kory. This is my fiancé Robin."

"Call me Rob," the black-haired man insisted, a reddish-tinge on his cheeks from the use of his real name, "My parents were either hippies or secretly wanting a girl."

"Just call me Gar," the third person stated. He was the shortest of the present group and had blond hair. His green eyes revealed that there was another embarrassing reason behind that nickname as well.

"Raven," she introduced herself, "And please, no nicknames. I rather don't like them." She paused, "So, where can I find the super?"

"I'll get him," Rob told her, then turned towards the apartments behind him, "Hey Victor!"

"I'm coming," a voice called out, not sounding at all pleased by the interruption. A tall black man emerged shortly afterwards, clothing stained with oil and smudges of residue. A wrench was clenched in his hand and he stuffed a dirty white cloth into one of his pockets. His gray eyes rested on Raven, "You need to rent a place?"

"Yes. It looks like you have good rates…in other words, something that I can afford."

Victor nodded in understanding. Too many people came through, finding Avenue Q to be the only place they could afford. Not a lot of them considered that Avenues R through Z existed, though the rates were much the same as here.

Victor and Raven spoke briefly before he handed over the keys and pointed out the apartment in question. She sighed in relief and headed back to pick up her luggage. Gar followed after her, wanting to help. He struggled just to drag the larger bag up the stairs.

"So," he asked, placing the suitcase inside. A few measly pieces of furniture decorated the apartment. It was enough for a small degree of comfort and that's all Raven could ask for, "What brings you down here anyway? Just out of college?"

"Yes."

"What did you study," Garfield questioned once he realized that Raven wasn't going to give out information freely.

"English," Raven answered, "I just got my Bachelor's a few days ago."

"What can you do with a B.A. in English," Garfield asked in disgust, not having found success in the subject.

"I want to write. That means spending most of my time inside to get everything done. Before I think of fame though, I needed a place to stay."

"This isn't all you own is it?"

"My parents are sending the rest of my stuff down once I give them my address," Raven told him, "I'm not going back to retrieve anything that I don't need."

"Well, I hope you like it here," Gar commented, "It's not a fancy neighborhood, but it's home."

"All I ask for," Raven assured him.

Gar turned to exit the apartment, but stopped in the doorway, positioning himself to face her, "You know," he started, halting when she turned her dark blue eyes to meet his, "Everyone's headed downtown tonight. We might go see a movie at the dollar theatre or just stroll around town. Wanna…" he stopped once more when her mouth opened to correct him, "I mean, want to come with…us?"

Raven was silent as she considered the possibilities. Either stay in her miniscule apartment with nothing to do, at least until her things arrived, or go out to town with a group of people she barely knew, "All right. I'll come. When are you leaving?"


	2. Whose Life Sucks More?

Notes: All right, onto the next chapter! I have some free time before I have to go to bed tonight. Oh the life of a college student. Lots of free time and I decide to use it in order to write. How wild and crazy of me.

Anyway, here's the next chapter of 'Moving On'. I hope you enjoy it. It's mostly a humor chapter, especially if you know the songs, so it doesn't really advance the plot much. The next chapter will be a bit more descriptive. You'll know what it's about at the end of this chapter. The first few chapters are just outlining the first couple of days, then it'll skip around a bit more after that.

Characters:  
Raven - Princeton

Gar - Nicky

Aqualad/Lance (I just made it up) – Rod

Robin – Brian

Starfire – Christmas Eve

Victor - Gary

Raven's eyes adjusted rather quickly to the dim lighting inside the grungy fast food restaurant the group had decided to attend. They were the only people in the dining room, not necessarily a bad thing, but distractions were few and far between. Sometimes that was just what she needed.

The group seemed to know where to sit, as they immediately headed towards a booth in the corner, some two-per-table booths set up nearby. Rob and Kory occupied the two-seater as Raven, Gar, Victor and an extra person, Lance, Gar's roommate, crammed themselves into the corner.

Rob and Gar went to order once everyone decided what they wanted, leaving the rest to speak amongst themselves for a while. Kory was immediately at Raven's side, urgently whispering questions about her family, friends and her love life, or lack thereof.

"I've…uh…never had a boyfriend," Raven told Kory reluctantly, though the gasp of surprise startled her all the same.

"What's wrong," Rob asked as he appeared and set a tray of questionable edible items on the table.

"Raven has never had a boyfriend," Kory replied in a voice that sounded sympathetic to the girl who was just fine without a man in her life.

"It sucks to be me," Raven muttered, sarcasm dripping from her words, and shrugged.

"Really," Rob questioned, "I just got laid off, so I'm broke and on top of that, I have a wedding to worry about."

"You're not the one planning it," Kory shot back, "You have no right to complain. I may have a job, but it's at a typical American bar. I'm not even American." Kory had revealed this earlier during their conversation, "I finally get the credentials to be a therapist, but I have no clients. Besides that, _Robin_ here is broke, as he already mentioned."

"Try living with Gar," Lance shot into the conversation, his black eyes narrowing dangerously, making his black hair and whole appearance seem malevolent. "He's a pig, borrows my things without asking…" At this, he turned his death glare to his roommate in question, "You always put your feet in my chair during breakfast. It's annoying!"

"At least I'm not obsessive compulsive about my looks," Gar's voice bit back, "Dude, you iron your underwear! That can't be normal." Lance's face took on a slight pink tinge as the others laughed at his expensive.

"Scary," Raven spoke up, "A man who cares more about his looks than I do. That's an all-time low."

"What about you," Gar asked, "What makes your life suck?"

Raven looked between everyone in the group, trying to grasp an answer in her mind. She just wanted to comment, not make a scene, "Well, I'm out of college and broke. I just called my parents and they can't send my things down until the end of next week and I only have four days worth of clothes. Oh and by the way Victor, my power's out."

"I'll get to it," Victor said with a wave of his hand, then paused, "Right after I fix Rob and Kory's kitchen faucet, get Gar and Lance's heat working again, as well as getting their water back on, and get power on in Wally's apartment as well…then I'll get to yours."

A murmur of 'sucks to be you' echoed through the five other's mouths, before each slowly changed into a grin, Raven's barely even registering on the 'Smile Scale'.

"Yeah, yeah, rub it in," Victor muttered, right before everyone else burst into laughter.

"That was great," Lance stated with a smile, "Everyone feel better now?" He looked at Gar, "Next time, please don't mention any…uh…weird things that I do."

"Like brushing your hair fifty times before bed," Gar blurted before Lance could say anything.

"Yeah, like that," Lance grunted.

"We do this whenever we go out," Rob explained to Raven, who only looked confused, "Get our problems out in the open. Then they don't seem as bad anymore."

Raven sighed as she trudged back upstairs to her apartment. Though the time had been enjoyable, the fun had to end sometime. Her fingers just grazed the keys that had been shoved into her pocket, barely grasping onto the thin chain from which they hung. She pulled them out and fumbled to get them into the lock.

When she finally got inside, she didn't pay any attention to the protests as the door slammed behind her. Truthfully, she was much too tired to care. The sound of another door farther down the way closing in the same fashion just barely caught her attention. Her eyes jerked open wider for a second before she made it to her bed, fast asleep in only seconds.

A gentle knocking at the front door gathered Raven's attention the next morning. Her eyes opened slowly, glancing at the battery-operated alarm clock she had set beside the flimsy mattress that she used for a bed. It revealed the time to be just after eight o'clock in the morning, which meant that she had gotten barely six hours of sleep.

The soft knocking soon turned into pounding, vibrating the noise into her head and making her wince at the sheer volume. She muttered threats under her breath as she pushed herself to her knees and then to her feet. She quickly prayed that whoever it was had a death wish.

Raven almost screamed out 'What' before she realized who stood on the other side of the door. Victor looked like he had gotten a full night's sleep, though Raven knew that he had been up all night. Instead, she settled for a glare, which did nothing to deter his morning optimism.

"Do you want me to fix your power or not," Victor asked, taking note of the look she was sending his way, pushing his way inside all the same.

"Yeah I do," she murmured to herself, her poor grammar proof of her lack of sleep, "Just not at freaking eight in the morning." She suddenly looked down at herself and was immediately grateful that no power equaled her heat being out as well. The dark blue sweatpants and long-sleeved green shirt didn't reveal an inch of skin or anything else that would have made the rude wake-up call embarrassing, "Do ya need me for anything?" She shook her head, as if trying to make the four years of English arrange itself correctly in her mind.

"Nope," Victor called back, "You mind waiting outside?"

Raven thrust her hands onto her hips angrily, before sighing and relenting, "Fine, just let me get some of my clothes." She marched into her room and grabbed an outfit suitable for the warm weather. Afterwards, she went directly outside, trying to decide whom she could wake up at this hour without them biting her head off.

She finally went with Kory and Rob. With luck, at least one of them would be awake. Raven figured Gar for someone who slept in as late as possible, so he was immediately out of the question.

The redhead in question was awake and hummed as she opened the door, mixing a bowl of pancake batter. If possible, her grin widened as she stepped aside to let Raven inside.

The apartment that the two shared was an average size, perfect for their current state of living. The kitchen was the smallest room in the apartment, the living room being a close second. A small table, two chairs and a stool completed the seating arrangement of the dining area.

Kory pointed Raven in the direction of the bathroom, assuring her that it was okay to use the shower if she needed. She followed her down and opened the door directly opposite in the hall.

"Robin," she called in a singsong tone, "Breakfast is almost ready!" Raven only heard a grumbling from inside before she closed the bathroom door.

The water was too cold for Raven's liking, but she quickly reasoned that it was better than scalding hot temperatures. She took a shower in record time and was back out in the kitchen in about fifteen minutes. The black capris and dark blue tank top went together rather well, considering that she had to grab whatever she could find in about a minute. She had grudgingly picked up a pair of purple flip-flops as well, though she soon kicked them off in frustration. She usually only used them when she went swimming, which was a rare occasion. Her hair was pulled back into a short ponytail.

"You want pancakes," Kory asked the second Raven came into view. The blue jean shorts, an almost headache-inducing hot pink tank top, and white flip-flops matched the girl's bright mood. Rob was still in pajamas, which consisted of black shorts and a red short-sleeved shirt. He waved at her lazily.

"Uh…sure," Raven replied, to which Kory grinned and scraped two pancakes onto an extra plate. Butter and an unhealthy amount of syrup sat before her on the table. Raven used it sparingly.

Kory was a pretty good cook, Raven decided as the meal ended, finishing it off with a glass of milk for a change. She was usually a healthy eater, but she gave into sweet temptations every once in a while, like that ice cream sundae she bought about two weeks ago. Sometimes, she just couldn't resist.

Raven excused herself afterwards, wanting to see how Victor was progressing on her power situation. If he wasn't done, maybe he'd at least have an estimate as to exactly how long he'd be working on it. So, she put her flip-flops on yet again and headed out the door.

"Victor," she called when she stepped inside. A grunt of acknowledgement followed, and she followed the source. Victor was messing with the heating unit, apparently finding the task easier than restoring power to the entire apartment, "I just wanted to know how long this might take."

"It'll be a few hours," Victor told her, "This apartment hasn't been rented in months, so it's going to need a lot of fixing. Luckily for the others, I already fixed Kory and Rob's faucet, so they're set. I'm heading to Gar and Lance's next. Maybe you should wait there."

Raven scowled, but nodded. She made her way over to Gar's apartment, which was coincidentally right below her own. Raised voices were easily heard through the thin walls, along with some music playing in the background.

"And you always play your music too loud," Lance's voice was the first to be heard.

"It's not like you were trying to sleep," Gar argued back, "I thought you were headed out anyway."

"Yes I was," Lance agreed, "but there's no need to blast your music as if it'll make me get out any faster."

Raven reluctantly knocked on the door and the voices instantly stopped. The music turned down and footsteps sounded. Gar stood on the other side and Lance was glaring at his back.

"Is this a bad time," she asked, glancing between the two.

"No, it's fine," Gar assured her, "What do you need?"

"Victor's at my apartment, fixing my power," Raven explained, "He said that he was going to come here next, so I thought that I could wait with you."

"I was actually about to head out," Gar admitted, gritting it through his teeth as he turned back to his roommate, obviously lying, "You can come with me if you'd like. It'll be something to do while you're waiting." Raven nodded and agreed. Gar slipped out the door, closing it not too gently behind him.


	3. Hair Dye and Conversations

Notes: Yeah, the next chapter! I couldn't help myself. I love writing this story so much. It's a lot of fun, especially with all of the song references. The chapter is pretty much just introducing some other characters and advancing some of their personalities, so no songs are being referenced in this chapter. You'll pretty much know when a song is going to be referenced by the title. If it sounds even remotely like one of the songs, there's a good chance that it'll be mentioned in the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or Avenue Q.

I'm not posting character references, because the ones in this chapter are fairly obvious. Plus, I didn't want to give away the newest character at the beginning. Most of them are the same anyway.

Raven didn't say a word as she and Gar walked down the street. She didn't even mention the fact that they had already passed the 'Help Wanted' sign up the way about three times already. It was quite obvious by his demeanor that he needed a moment to think. His eyes were squinted in deep thought, though anger could be seen easily in his clenched fists.

"Roommate problems," Raven prodded gently, knowing that he needed to speak up or explode.

"How could you tell," he asked sarcastically, giving Raven a view of his other side, "He's been on my case all week. I don't know what I did."

Raven didn't speak as he rambled on, not seeming to notice that she hadn't once broke into the conversation. She listened to the soft thudding of their shoes on the ground combined with his voice. When his words finally faded, he then glanced over at her.

"Why did you dye your hair purple," Gar asked suddenly and Raven looked startled at the quick change of conversation. It looked like Gar had gotten all his problems off his chest and now wanted a more pleasant topic to talk about.

"In high school, I went through a phase where I dyed my hair a lot," Raven admitted, "I tried purple and liked it. Every once in a while I'll grow it out to its original color, but otherwise, it's purple."

"It looks good," Gar nodded in agreement.

"Why don't you dye your hair," Raven asked, "I can tell that you don't. Roots are usually pretty noticeable if you have fake blond hair. You'd look good in green." Gar just about choked on the stale air he sucked in upon hearing that comment.

"Green," he croaked out, "Why green?"

"Your eyes," Raven answered, barely restraining herself from blushing, "Any color like green or black would look really good on you."

Gar seemed to think it over for a moment before motioning that it just wasn't for him. Raven simply shrugged and stuffed her hands into her pockets.

"Let's stop in here," he announced after a moment, gesturing to a small diner set into the strip mall that they were passing.

It was still relatively early, so it was practically deserted inside. Declining drinks when a waitress came by to take any orders, they sat in a small booth in the corner. This was definitely the perfect place to get away from it all.

"Why here," Raven asked.

Gar shrugged, "Why not here?"

Two hours later, Gar reluctantly walked Raven to her apartment before entering his own. Lance wasn't in sight, as he had mentioned having plans earlier. However, Victor was at the showerhead, trying to get their water working. It had been out since about two days ago, but luckily, Gar had been allowed to use the shower in Wally's apartment, though it was difficult without any light to see.

Gar thought nothing of Victor being there and walked back outside, finding it more bearable than the cold inside. He let his gaze shift to the apartment to his right, Kory and Rob's since about three months ago. He, Rob and Lance had all been roommates for a while, up until the proposal when he moved out.

To be truthful, it had been much better when Rob had still lived with them. He had always been around to stop an argument before it got out of hand. Lance and Gar had gotten along pretty well at first, but once the insults came, they didn't stop.

More than once Gar had thought about moving out, but he had nowhere else to go and he definitely couldn't afford an apartment by himself. They had their moments when they got along enough to get through a meal or a few hours of television, usually when they agreed on the same show.

Then Lance started arguing with him about getting in late or even when Gar had just a small amount to drink. Lance knew that Gar wasn't really a drinker, just when life was particularly troubling. Getting drunk was even more out of the question, though it had happened once, thanks to a so-called 'friend' who got drinks for him. That hadn't happened again. In fact, Lance treated him like a child, though he was only a year older. It had all started when Rob left. Gar decided to pay him a little visit.

Gar was immediately ushered in and Rob was summoned from a back room. His looks had improved since that morning, though his eyes showed strain from black on white from the applications that he had been filling out.

"It's Lance," Gar jumped right into the conversation, "He's been acting really weird since you moved out."

"I've noticed," Rob acknowledged, "What about it?"

"He's been getting on my case a lot more than usual lately," Gar told him, "More than when you were there. Do you know what it could be?"

Rob shrugged, "It's Lance. He's always been a little obsessive-compulsive. Maybe without me around, he's just being more vocal about it."

"And I'm the only one around to get yelled at," Gar muttered, "It really gets on my nerves. He blames me for everything, even when he's the one who left the stove on that one time."

"He's a perfectionist," Robin offered, "He doesn't like thinking that he did something wrong. Try to talk to him Gar. Maybe you can reason with him."

"I guess," Gar reluctantly agreed to this, "I'll wait until after Victor fixes everything. Maybe he'll be more reasonable if the apartment is working again." Rob agreed that this might be the best solution before seeing Gar outside.

Three knocks sounded on Raven's door later that day. Confused as to who it could be as she had already visited the other tenants at other times during the day, she slowly stood to her feet and walked over to open it.

The girl who stood on the other side was unfamiliar, so Raven simply glanced her up and down, trying to place her before speaking, "Yes?" Raven was sure that if she knew this girl, it would have come to her immediately. It was hard to forget someone with pink hair.

"I'm Jenna," the girl said, holding out a hand, which Raven shook, "Sorry I didn't get to meet you earlier. I'm a teacher's aid down at the school and I'm not here during the day."

Jenna seemed pleasant enough, Raven decided, though the girl sounded almost sarcastic about her apology. Probably the job, she deduced, long hours, children screaming in your ears…she was sure she would be stressed out too.

"I live upstairs," Jenna continued, "Wally told me that somebody had moved in, but I guess you haven't been up to introduce yourself." It was at this moment that Raven knew that Jenna really had been sarcastic earlier, trying to lay a guilt trip on the new girl. What was she supposed to say? Sorry that I just moved in and was kicked out of my apartment while the super fixed it for me? Her logic didn't make sense.

"Sorry about that," Raven muttered back, trying to sound pleasant.

"It's okay," Jenna shrugged and then her moodiness was gone, "By the way, love your hair." Raven's eyebrow raised in confusion by the sudden mood swing, but thanked her all the same, "Next time you go to get it dyed, let me know. We can go together. In fact, drop by anytime." Raven only nodded before Jenna walked off.

"Nice to meet you too," Raven mumbled when she was out of sight, "There are sure some interesting people here."


	4. Racism and the Internet

Notes: Well, I've been at these chapters practically non-stop. I keep getting more ideas for them. I think that this story is going to be one of my longer ones. It's just one of those that have enough material that I want to keep going as long as I can. I really shouldn't be writing for it this much, but I can't help it. This is a short chapter, but by the next chapter, something is really going to move the plot along. Watch out for it. Sorry that some of the songs aren't referenced as well as they could be, but the lyrics didn't work out very well for this chatper.

Songs referenced:

Everyone's a Little Bit Racist

The Internet is for Porn (this is only slightly mentioned, as I didn't want to get too deep in the subject. I just about left it out.)

It was a week later that Raven finally became adjusted to life in Avenue Q. Her parents had finally sent all of her things down and her apartment felt more like home thanks to said items.

The only furniture that was sent included a bed frame, a black recliner and two beanbag chairs. Raven had only shrugged and blamed it all on being a college student. While it nice to have some furniture in the dorms, sometimes comfort was everything, so she bought the beanbag chairs for that purpose. The recliner was worn, but Raven claimed that it came from the library back home, her favorite room in the house. She had asked for it as a parting gift from her parents' home.

She had asked for Gar's assistance in building the bed frame, seeing as how he was the only one really available during the day. While they studied the pieces and set to putting them together, Gar had resorted to a weird topic of conversation.

"Do you know Jenna from upstairs," he asked her randomly, eyeing one of the long steel bars of the frame.

"Yes," Raven answered, raising an eyebrow and wondering where he was going with it.

"You two could pass for sisters you know," he continued, "I mean you both have the oddly colored hair-"

"What," Raven cut him off, "Are you inquiring that all "punks" or whatever you want to call us, look alike or something?"

"No," Gar waved his hand defensively, "Just that you have a similar style. I didn't mean for it to sound racist."

"Forget it," Raven sighed, "I'm used to people pointing and staring."

"Like you're not," Gar told her, "In my own personal opinion, everyone's at least a little bit racist." She raised her eyes to meet his, "Like you didn't give Victor a weird look when you first met him."

"He was wearing overalls," Raven protested, "I didn't expect someone as tall as him to be wearing them…especially not _white_ ones."

"They're an old pair," Gar waved the comment off, "He only uses them when he's doing maintenance work. Seriously though, you gave him a weird look, and it didn't look like 'oh no, fashion emergency' to me."

"So I wasn't expecting a black man," Raven shrugged, "I don't normally think of them as supers."

"What's going on in here," Rob appeared suddenly in the doorway.

"Rae's a racist," Gar stated casually, earning a death glare from the girl, "but aren't we all to a certain extent?"

"You are aware that I am marrying a foreign girl, right," Rob asked.

"She's Irish, not foreign," Gar corrected, "You should be happy that she didn't hear you say that. The Irish are known for having tempers."  
"And you say you're not racist," Raven said, "Not all people from Ireland have tempers…and neither do redheads. She seems pleasant enough to me. She doesn't even have an accent."

"She moved away a long time ago," Rob explained, "She never had that strong of an accent to begin with. But I didn't come down to discuss that." He turned his attention to Gar, "Have you talked to Lance yet?"

"Uh…no," Gar admitted, sounding sheepish while announcing his confession, "I…uh…haven't gotten around to it."

"He came to me complaining about you," Rob continued, ignoring his former roommate's stuttering, "I don't want to be the go-between Gar. Talk to him." Then, he was gone.

"Now, I want you to pretend to be my class," Jenna told Wally, a tall skinny boy with bright orange hair, "This is the first lesson I'll teach by myself. I want it to be perfect."

"Miss teacher lady," Wally waved his hand frantically in the air, "Can I go to the bathroom?" Jenna shot him a strict look. Wally always had to take the act just a bit too far.

"No," she scolded him, "Will you please stop goofing off and pay attention? You're not in kindergarten, they are." Wally just grinned, but nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay, my lesson is going to be about the Internet," Jenna started once more, "Now, I'm talking to five-year-olds, so I'll have to keep the wording simple. So please, don't laugh at me." She took a deep breath and stopped in front of Wally, "The Internet is really, really great. I have a fast connection, so I don't have to wait a long time. Now, who knows what you can do on the Internet?"

Wally thrust his hand into the air, a quite serious look on his face. Jenna never noticed that he was biting his bottom lip to keep from laughing. Her eyes, appearing pink because of contacts, landed on him, much the same as if he were a child.

"Yes, Wally."

"Porn," Wally answered excitedly before he burst out laughing.

"Wally, I'm surprised at you," Jenna yelled, "I should have known. You're such a pervert! For once, couldn't you have been serious!"

"I'm sorry Miss Jenna," Wally replied in his best impression of a child's voice. His eyes softened as he looked at her, "Sorry Jenna. I was just joking around."

"Couldn't you just act a little more mature," she asked him, "We're not kids anymore Wally."

"Okay, I'll pay attention," Wally told her, "I just couldn't help myself. You're so cute when you're angry."

He caught her gaze and her anger slowly melted away. Not many people had that kind of effect on her. As much as Wally irritated her, there was just something about him.


	5. Mixed Tapes Make Fantasies Come True

Notes: Well, I'm probably going to go through all the chapters and do some fix ups here and there. I'm hoping that I'll get into posting more chapters again once my schedule stops being so hectic.

Songs referenced:

Mixed Tape

I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today

Special

Fantasies Come True (a humor/drama scene)

Characters:

Raven – Misc./Kate Monster (for Mixed Tape)

BB/Gar – Nicky/Princeton (for Mixed Tape)

Robin – Brian

Star/Kory – Christmas Eve

Cyborg/Victor – Gary

Jenna/Jinx – Kate Monster (normal)

Wally – Trekkie Monster

Kitten – Lucy the Slut

Raven opened her eyes against the darkness that pressed against them, staring up at the bland grayness of the ceiling, colored so by the cover of night. Her mind counted over the months that she had lived on Avenue Q. Three months, she finally discovered the answer.

She knew by a good source, being Gar, that he and Lance had been getting along even worse than before. Raven was sure that Gar wasn't too far from being kicked out. She just hoped that it wouldn't be too soon.

She tried to visit everyone during various times of the week, but Gar was the only one with enough time to talk. Kory was frantically trying to work together a new schedule, due to the fact that she'd finally received a client. Apparently, they needed a lot of help, because Raven could only catch Kory at night, and even then, she was going over the notes from the earlier session.

Rob had finally landed himself a new job down at the nightclub just a little ways down the street. It wasn't a great job and it didn't pay enough, but with Kory's expenses increasing from her client, it was enough to cover the bills month by month, a fact which both were grateful for when they had the time to care.

Lance generally avoided her, which Raven could understand. She was getting along with his roommate and since he quite obviously loathed Gar, he wanted almost nothing to do with her. Whenever he answered the door, he literally screamed for Gar and then left, not doing so much as inviting her inside. Gar had given up trying to apologize for Lance's behavior.

Jenna wasn't often in because of her job and she sometimes had to spend a night grading papers, though they thankfully weren't too difficult. Oftentimes, she could be found at Wally's apartment and Raven had decided not to bother them at those times. She had met Wally earlier and he was a bit of an eccentric, especially in Jenna's company.

Raven actually found a job at this point, writing short ads for the local newspaper. She could do the job from the comfort of her home, though she went to the office sometimes. It wasn't her dream job, but it was a start.

She had been thinking about Gar a lot lately. He had been extremely helpful since she had moved in, helping her move boxes and putting together various pieces of furniture and even attempting to set up her computer. After he'd received a shock for his efforts, Gar handed the job over to Victor, who had everything plugged in after about five minutes.

However, she couldn't be sure of his reason for wanting her friendship. Part of her just thought that he wanted to get away from his own apartment and Lance, but part thought that he was truly interested in her. At the moment, she was having an emotional battle about his actions.

The familiar sound of knocking echoed through the room and Raven's mind snapped out of its trance and she glanced at the door, "It's open." Raven didn't have a fear of anyone coming and stealing her things, so unless she was out, the door was always unlocked.

Gar poked his head into the room before squeezing his entire body through the small space he had allowed for himself. For the very first time, Raven thought that he looked embarrassed, one hand carefully tucked behind his back.

"Hey Gar," she greeted, pushing herself off the recliner and headed towards the small kitchen, turning on the lights as she did so, "Can I get you anything?"

You're being too nice, Raven silently scolded herself. Usually a scalding remark or two would suffice for the time being, but sometimes, she couldn't make herself remotely dislike the blond man in front of her.

"No, it's okay," Gar replied, using his free hand to scratch at his neck. His other hand instinctively moved forward, producing an object in her general direction. Raven stared at it for a moment before hesitantly taking it, looking at him with confusion in her eyes.

"What's this," she asked.

"A mixed tape," Gar told her, "I was…umm…looking through my CDs and I thought you might like those songs."

"Okay," Raven started, then paused for a second, "Thanks Gar. It's really…sweet of you." Gar's green eyes widened at the compliment before the usual grin appeared on his face.

"I'm glad you like it," he said, "Check out the songs." Raven's eyes glanced over the titles, noting a few of her personal favorites that she had mentioned to him in the passing weeks. So that's why he kept asking, she thought, a small smile forming on her lips.

"I love it," Raven blurted before she could control herself. She had meant to choose her words carefully, but sometimes even the best plans went astray.

"Oh, and one more thing," Gar looked sheepish yet again, "You busy tonight?"

Raven opened her mouth to correct his grammar, but merely shook her head at this, "Yes Gar, I'm free. Why?"

"Rob's opening at the nightclub tonight," Gar replied, "He's invited us all to come down and see the show. I was just wondering if…well, if you'd like to come with me?"

"Like a date," Raven asked, arching an eyebrow in amusement.

"Yeah, like a date," Gar agreed eagerly, "So, you wanna come?"

"Sure," Raven replied, "Why not?"

The night proved to be interesting. Rob had opened with a song, which he was quite obviously embarrassed of doing, especially when the word 'underwear' had to come out of his mouth. He looked like he'd rather wear the said undergarment on his head than have to sing it in front of so many people. Then came the big moment.

"And now introducing the woman you've all been waiting for," Rob looked at all the guys, as he had been instructed, "Straight from her World Tour…Kitten the Slut!" Rob spoke the last word so violently that it was clear that his reaction towards the girl was nothing more than loathing. It had been assumed that she had come onto him while getting ready for the act.

It was in Raven's honest opinion that Kitten had on way too little clothes and even less talent. To hear a girl like her screeching out a song about love or lust to be frank, was quite annoying. It was that night that Raven had her first drink.

Lance was on the other side of the room, doing a prime job of ignoring Gar, which the aforementioned man was okay with. Almost as if in an attempt to annoy Lance, Gar had one too many drinks, though Raven was much worse off. Having not accustomed herself to alcohol, Raven was done with drinking after downing her very first one. The small amount was almost enough to make her faint to the floor. It was that very same night that she swore off drinking forever.

Luckily for her, Gar had a higher drinking tolerance and could walk her back to her apartment. By the time that they made it up to her floor however, he too was stumbling, though not as badly as she was. He had to dig the key out of her pocket himself and tried vainly for a few moments to insert it into the lock. It finally lodged in and he turned the knob, pulling the keys out as he did so. Gar helped her over to the recliner before he made his way to the kitchen.

"I don't have coffee," Raven commented loudly, "Tea will have to do. You don't mind, do you Gar?" Gar couldn't refuse the offer of any non-alcoholic drink, so he agreed. With Raven talking him through the steps, though often incoherent, the tea was ready in just a few minutes.

"I had to guess on some things," he told her, a bit steadier on his feet, "I hope it's okay."

Raven just shook her head at him, "As long as it gets the awful taste of alcohol out of my mouth. I can't believe I got drunk after only one shot."

"It happens to first timers," Gar explained, handing her a cup, which she took with a slightly unsteady hand, "I barely got through half a shot my first time." Raven laughed bitterly at this, then held a hand to her head, which was paler than usual. The color soon returned to her face as she took a few sips of tea.

"This tea is awful," Raven stated with a harsh laugh, "Thank you Gar. Just what I needed to wake up." Gar clearly didn't know whether to take offense or not, then brushed it aside, telling himself that it was just the alcohol talking.

"Did you have fun tonight," he asked her after a moment, taking a sip of his own cup. He made a face, silently agreeing that he would never be making the tea again. He had never had tea before, but he was sure that it shouldn't taste like that.

"Aside from the splitting headache, it was great," Raven replied, then looked over to where he sat, frowning at his tea, "There's sugar on the counter if that's not sweet enough for you." She shakily got to her feet before Gar could protest. Instead of walking straight like she intended, she toppled over after just a few steps and right into Gar's lap.

Raven laughed again, but it wasn't one of her usual mocking laughs. She sounded embarrassed, if not slightly amused at her lack of balance. It sounded much more pleasant.

"Sorry," she muttered, attempting to stand up again, "I'll get it this time."

"Hold on Rae," Gar stopped her. She was too disgruntled to notice the use of the nickname, "Give it a second. You'll gain your balance in a few minutes."

Raven reluctantly moved her hand from the floor, leaning back against Gar as she did so.Gar didn't look incredibly comfortable with her sitting on his lap, but he certainly wasn't complaining either.

"Rae?"

"Yeah?" She turned to look at him as she spoke. For the very first time, he got a good look at her eyes. A brilliant blue, he would be quoted later in a rare poetic moment, dark as the night sky as the sun falls beyond sight, "I mean, yes?"

Gar couldn't control what happened next. He leaned forward and before he could stop himself, their lips connected. He meant for it to be a short, gentle kiss, but his plans quickly went astray as Raven responded, kissing him back with more desire. Slowly and reluctantly, Gar pulled away. 

When Gar left Raven's apartment a few moments later, he was in much higher spirits. He whistled a short tune as he made the trek to his own place. His whistling trailed off as he reached the door however. Lance had locked it behind him and Gar had almost certainly left his keys inside. This was confirmed as he checked all of his pockets, rummaging through them frantically.

Hesitantly Gar knocked on the door. With his luck, Lance would still be getting ready for the night.

Lance was already in bed by that point. Gar made an appearance, but in his dream world, he didn't know any difference between that and real life.

His dream was much like real life, as he, in his dream world, sat up in bed, not being able to fall asleep. For the first time since he remembered, Lance directed a question at Gar, "You awake? It really can get lonely here at night."

Gar just mumbled something about 'unicorns' and Lance knew that he was dreaming. He sighed, "Great, he's talking in his sleep again. Now what am I supposed to do?"

Again, Gar mumbling something about 'purple shoes' and 'painting kittens', a sure sign that his dream was actually normal, for Gar at least. His roommate snuggled deeper into the covers, pulling them up to his chin, mumbling more about 'putting earmuffs on a cookie'. Huh? Oh well, that was Gar for you.

"Maybe I should just wake him up," Lance whispered to himself. He debated whether to leave the warmth of his bed, but knew what he had to do, "A good shake should do it." He swung his legs off the bed.

"I love you Lance," Gar murmured, but loud enough for Lance himself to hear, proceeding to make him trip to the floor.

"What," Lance exclaimed, feeling dizzy all of a sudden, "What did you say?"

"I love your laugh," Gar once again murmured. Lance shook his head in disbelief, wondering why this had to happen and to him of all people!

"Take off your shirt," came Gar's voice one last time.

"Ahhh," Lance yelled, disgusted, bounding up in bed by the sound of knocking on the front door. It took him just a moment to realize that he was actually awake. The pounding on the door continued.

"Lance let me in," a muffled voice carried through the wall.

Lance hurried over as fast as he could and yanked the door open, "Ahhh!" He shut the door in Gar's face, taking in deep breaths, "Go away!"

"Lance," Gar sounded annoyed now, "What going on?"

"Get away from me you…homo," Lance told him, wincing at the use of the final word.

"What," Gar yelled out in shock, "Lance…I'm not a…homosexual. I don't even know where you got that idea. Besides, you're the one wearing a sleeping mask!"

Lance touched his face, discovering that Gar was right. He should really stop wearing those things overnight. They gave him nightmares.

"That's beside the point," Lance called out, "Meterosexual and homosexual, there's a difference."

"Whatever," Gar said, "Look, I don't know what got you to thinking that about me, but I'm not."

"Liar," Lance yelled.

"If it'll make you feel any better, I'll give you proof," Gar told him, lowering his voice as if speaking to a young child, "I like girls Lance. I should know, I just kissed Raven!"

"You did," Lance's tone softened.

"Yeah," Gar replied, "I don't like you Lance. Never have, never will."

"Well, that's a relief," Lance let out a short laugh, "but I'm going to call Raven. Just to make sure."

"Wait Lance, no," Gar cried out, "She'll kill me if she found out that I told you."

"Well, if you won't, then I have no choice," Lance called through the door, "Get your stuff and get out!"

"But I didn't-" Gar cut off, "I'll get my things."

Lance watched as Gar gathered all that he could into two duffel bags, until he literally could barely zip them closed. Gar thrust a toothbrush and small comb into his pockets, not bothering to disguise his anger.

When all his things were packed, he walked towards the door, feeling Lance's eyes watching his carefully, glaring daggers into his back. The second he was out the door and feeling the cold radiating off the concrete, it slammed behind him.

Someone yelled down the way, but Gar paid the voice no attention. It didn't sound familiar. They couldn't help him. His eyes glanced over the apartments and seeing no windows lit, trudged down a ways, finding a deserted alleyway where he could sleep.

One of his duffel bags became a temporary pillow. He dug a thin blanket out of one of the bags. Though it was too small to completely cover him, it would have to suffice. He curled up into the smallest ball that he could manage, but even then, the blanket did nothing to keep him warm.

Notes: Now, I suspect that I will get some reviews asking why Lance kicked Gar out for something so trivial and stupid. I honestly thought the same thing, but I've come up with the solution, because now, it actually makes sense. I think that Lance is just looking for an excuse to kick Gar out and he doesn't care what it is or how he does it. He just took the first excuse that he could find. I kind of hate making Lance be so cruel, but even in Avenue Q, Rod was the one who was always angry at Nicky. Rod kicked Nicky out for calling him a homosexual (or so I read, correct me if I'm wrong).


	6. Fine, Fine Lines

Notes: Okay, now continuing with the story. This is going to differ just a bit from the musical, because I don't want this chapter to be purely drama, especially after the last chapter. Maybe I should have split the last chapter into two parts and that was my first intention, but for some reason, I wanted to keep going when it came to writing Chapter 5.

By the way, I'm sorry it took so long. I intended for it to be longer and then I went through it again and actually liked where I stopped. I hope the song reference is okay. It's a much better song than it is just written out. I hope to have the next chapter up soon.

Songs referenced:

Schadenfreude

Gar shivered as the sun hit his face the next morning. Unlike on most days, the burning ball of fire did nothing to comfort him. The cold, hard ground prodded into the most sensitive parts of his body, even worse than the time he had gone camping and forgot to bring a sleeping bag.

His hip dug into the concrete painfully and Gar rolled over to his back, closing his eyes against the harsh sun, or perhaps it was the grime on the rough bricks that caused him grief. The blanket had been tossed ceaselessly all night and now lay in a tangled mess at his feet. Gar sat up and started to disentangle it, only succeeding when he kicked his feet out, sending the blanket flying. It landed at the feet of someone walking down the narrow sidewalk.

Rob's eyes traveled to the alley that the piece of fabric had come soaring out of just a few seconds earlier. They widened upon seeing Gar sitting on the ground, staring listlessly at his feet. Gar muttered something under his breath before looking up to meet Rob's eyes. He showed no signs of surprise. He would have been discovered sooner or later anyway.

"Gar, what's going on," Rob asked, bending down to pick up the blanket, "Were you sleeping here all night?"

"Yeah," Gar replied bitterly, "Lance kicked me out."

"What for?"

"I don't know," Gar told him with a snarl, "All I know is that I get in late last night and when Lance opens the door to let me in…I forgot my keys inside…he freaks out. Somehow he got the idea that I'm a homosexual. Maybe he had a bad dream or something, but he wouldn't let me in until I proved to him that I wasn't. I give him the proof, but then he wants to call her…"

"Her," Rob questioned, sitting down beside his friend.

"Raven," Gar replied with a light blush, "We kinda…kissed last night."

"Oh."

"Well, I wouldn't let him call her to prove it and then he tells me to get out, "Gar finished, "Now I'm here."

"If you had just let Lance call her, this could have been avoided," Rob offered his advice.

"I know," Gar told him, "but I respect her too much to let Lance interrogate her about something private like that. I wouldn't have even told him if I wasn't trying to convince him that I was straight."

"Maybe you should talk to-"

"No," Gar stopped him, "Talking won't do us any good."

"Well, I'd like to invite you to stay with us," Rob continued after a moment, "but with Kory so worried about her client and me being gone so much, I think it would just be too stressful for us right now."

"It's okay," Gar sighed, "I can ask someone else. There has to be somebody who would let me stay with them." 

An hour later, Gar leaned against the brick wall, sliding down to his feet in defeat. It didn't matter who he asked, he was met with the same answer, 'no'. Well, Wally had outright laughed in his face. Jinx sounded apologetic, but since she was with Wally now, she believed that he would get jealous. There were other tenants that he didn't know so well, who closed their doors in his face before he could complete his first sentence.

Raven…well, Raven was totally different. She had met him with a glare at her door. Apparently, Lance had called her anyway and told her how he had mentioned their previous night together. Gar didn't know whether she looked more hurt or betrayed. Nevertheless, she had yelled at him about how she 'was drunk at the time', even if she barely registered on the drunken scale, and that it was 'a mistake that she never planned on making again'. Gar never got to tell his side of the story before she slammed the door in his face, making him wince at the sound as if she'd literally slapped him.

So, there was one more person to ask. Gar hadn't seen Victor all day, but he was usually pretty busy with repairs and the like. Therefore, Gar was waiting at a place where Victor was sure to cross his path at least once…the door to his apartment.

Victor came by about an hour later. He stopped before his door, poised to put the key in the lock when he noticed Gar sitting there. Obviously trying to decide whether or not to speak with his friend, Victor sighed, looking between Gar and the doorknob. Finally, the decision was made and Victor withdrew his key from the lock.

"Hey Gar."

"Victor," Gar nodded, waiting for this acknowledgement before standing to his feet, "Look, could you help me out? I need a place to stay…maybe for a night or so."

"Hmmm…let me think," Victor feigned thought, "No."

"No," Gar exclaimed, "But everybody else has turned me down. You want me to live on the streets?  
"Sure, why not," Victor shrugged, "You're going to have to deal with this yourself, homeless or not."

"But-" Gar cut himself off, sliding down to the ground, not even wincing when he hit the hard concrete, "See you later Vic."

"I guess you're feeling really crappy, huh," Victor asked, kneeling beside him.

"I'll say."

"You know, when I see how sad you are it sort of makes me…" Victor paused, as if thinking of the word, "Happy!"

"Happy! Vic," Gar complained, bounding to his feet now and positioning himself in Victor's face.

"Sorry Garfield, human nature," Victor shrugged, "Nothing I can do. It's called 'schadenfreude' and it makes me really glad that I'm not you."

"That's not very nice," Gar told him, "and don't call me that."

"Hey," Victor shrugged once more, "I never said it was nice, but you can't deny that everybody does it. Have you ever clapped when a waitress falls and drops a tray of glasses?"

"Yeah," Gar answered after a moment.

"And don't you feel all warm and cozy watching people out in the rain?" Gar nodded, "That's schadenfreude, 'people taking pleasure in your pain'."

"Is that some kind of…Nazi word," Gar asked.

"Yup," Victor told him, "It's German for 'happiness at the misfortune of others'."

Gar repeated it to himself, "That is German."

"How about watching a vegetarian being told she just ate chicken?"

"I am a vegetarian," Gar protested, "How about watching a football players being tackled?"

"Hey," Victor took offense at this, having been on a team many years earlier.

"Schadenfreude," Gar shrugged, laughing himself now and grabbing his bags, "I feel better now. See you later Vic."

Victor was still fuming as Gar walked off, but only allowed himself to laugh once the blond was out of sight.


	7. The Other Side of the Story

Notes: Yeah, I'm getting back into this story again. I know it's been a while since this story has been fully active but life has just gotten in the way. I would like to continue updating throughout the weekend, but sadly that won't happen. I'll be out of town this weekend and I won't be bringing my laptop with me. Spring Break! Finally! Anyway, here's the next update of this story.

Sorry that this chapter is so short, but it's meant to be a sort of filler chapter before the next one.

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or the plot for Avenue Q.

Songs referenced: none

The second after Raven slammed the door in Gar's face, she turned around, still feeling the anger rising on the surface. After the previous night, she really felt a need to be away from people, mainly Gar himself.

Instead of unleashing her fury upon a pillow or other inanimate object however, she opted for a bowl of cookie dough ice cream. After filling the bowl, she stabbed her spoon inside the icy mass, silently cursing herself for her weakness for sweets when she was stressed. Then she pushed the thought aside, telling herself that she needed it, deserved it, anything to get rid of the pain.

Now pain wasn't a word she liked to attribute to herself, but how else was she supposed to explain what she was feeling? Sure, on the surface she looked hurt and betrayed, but pain was trapped inside. She would never let anyone, especially Gar, see her cry.

Raven let her thoughts overwhelm her until she was literally stabbing the ice cream into oblivion. Her forceful strokes through the cold treat turned the hard dessert into mush and then suddenly, she found her appetite had all but disappeared. She forced herself to take one bite before sticking the bowl in the freezer.

Her mind roved to that night, though she tried to stop the onslaught of feelings. Regardless of the fact that Lance had called and told what Gar had revealed to him, she did regret her earlier actions. She winced as she recalled the words she'd said to Gar in her anger, speaking before thinking, as was her usual temperament.

Wait Lance called her, she suddenly thought as she shut the freezer door. Well, he had told her something that she already knew had happened, and how else would he have found out unless Gar told him? Then again, he hated Gar with a passion. Raven wouldn't have put it passed him to have told her for his own reasoning, mainly to destroy something in Gar's life, such as a good relationship. She was aware of Lance's detest towards her as well.

Her eyes turned from the countertop to the front door, which she had merely an hour previous slammed the door in Gar's face. She clenched and unclenched her fists, not knowing whether to allow anger or despair to pour through in her actions. Despair won out.

Raven felt the sobs wracking her body before the feeling of cold tears slipped down her face. She didn't allow them to get far before swiping at them jerkily with her fingers. Nevertheless, she couldn't do the same for the rest of the tears.

She rushed back to her bedroom, forcefully flicking the light switch off, encasing herself in total darkness. In the black shadows of her room, she closed the curtains to stop light from flowing in from outside. She retreated to the opposite side of the room, where she sat with her back against the far wall. For now, the darkness was comforting and it'd be a while before she moved from her current position, stuck between guilt and her own insecurities.

Gar only found himself in good spirits for a little while. Once night set in, he remembered his previous night sleeping on the concrete in a filthy alleyway. Besides that, storm clouds were beginning to form, but whether or not it would actually rain was debatable.

During his wanderings, Gar found himself in a small park a few streets away. Feeling that first drop of rain fall onto the back of his hand, Gar mumbled a curse to himself, looking around for a place to get away from the weather.

A small pavilion appeared to be the only cover from the rain, so he hurried over, managing to get minimally soaked in the process. The drumming of the droplets upon the roof would never be the perfect soundtrack for a good night's sleep, but Gar readied himself for the night anyway. Once again, the shabby blanket became a shelter for his body as the wind picked up and started to blow colder. His fingers griped the edges of the blanket and he pulled his head further under the cloth, hoping that it'd be enough to prevent a cold…though he sincerely doubted it.

Raven woke later in the night when a thunderclap rent through the sky. Her room filled with shadows at a sudden blaze as lightning streaked the darkness. After her tears had stopped, nothing seemed more comforting to her then a warm night of sleep. She sighed as she became aware of the atmosphere outside. She personally hated thunderstorms, for the randomness of the act. It was hard to sleep when you never knew when the next thunderclap would sound or if lightning would be a bit too close for comfort.

She sat up in bed as she realized that she wouldn't be getting much more sleep that night. Her gaze traveled to the still curtained window, which didn't do much to prevent the storm from being evident outside. She blinked her eyes wearily before they shot open, but not from the sound of thunder. Gar was out there.

Thinking about how she wouldn't drift back off to sleep anyway, Raven crossed to her small closet, grabbing some jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. She pulled a heavy coat on over this before venturing off into the night.

Raven scouted the entire street before she finally gave up on her search. Gar wasn't in any of the alleyways or resting under the awnings of the shops closer to town. By this point, she was completely soaked, even her hair was weighed down by the assault of the downpour. Her eyes seemed to be coated over with a layer of water as she trudged back to her apartment, dragging her feet up the stairs and leaving an invisible trail in her wake.


	8. Colds

Note: Yeah, another update! Sorry it's taken so long, but I've been incredibly busy with schoolwork (finals are in two weeks) and Activities Committee. Ugh, Class Night is next week and we still have a good amount to do. Besides, it took me a while to figure out exactly how to write this chapter. If you're still reading, I'd like to thank you. I know it's been a while.

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or the plot from Avenue Q.

Songs referenced:

There's Life Outside Your Apartment

Raven awoke early the next morning and groaned at the coldness of the room. Her hair was still damp from the previous night's adventures and she pulled the comforter tighter over her body, trying to seek heat. And then she sneezed.

She swore under her breath at her stroke of bad luck. She had taken precautions against the weather but obviously, they hadn't been enough. Raven groggily got to her feet and was stunned at how weak she felt. Thank goodness she liked to drink tea; otherwise, the cold would last much longer. Besides that, soup was about the only food she had in the apartment. Hopefully, her recovery would be fast.

After preparing her tea, Raven sat in the recliner, sipping the hot liquid. She couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped her lips as she remembered that night and how much of an idiot she had made of herself, just because she had to have one drink. Nevertheless, no matter how much she embarrassed herself, she did have to admit that she had enjoyed that night.

After Gar had left that night, she had replayed the moment over and over in her head, wondering how it had all happened. It hadn't been a romantic moment. The best word to describe it would have been spontaneous, though she had a feeling that he was going to kiss her at that moment.

The thing that most surprised her though was that she had liked it. She had never been kissed before, so she hadn't known what to expect feeling wise or if she was doing a single thing right. She suspected that she had done something wrong, as he had pulled away much earlier that she had liked, but she had quickly dispelled that thought as he told her that it was the best kiss he'd ever had. Of course, the fact that he'd had his share of drunken kisses was cast aside for the moment, as he'd had sober ones as well.

As Raven headed back towards the kitchen for a second cup, a knock sounded at the front door. She rushed to answer it, only to be disappointed when she didn't see Gar on the other side, but Rob.

"Have you seen Gar" was the question that both asked at the same moment, though Raven's voice hinted at her cold.

"You haven't," Rob ran a hand through his hair in dismay, "I was hoping that he'd have come to your place. You sure you haven't seen him lately?"

"Not since yesterday afternoon," Raven admitted, sniffling after the sentence was done, "Sorry."

"I was going to look for him," Rob told her and turned to leave.

"Wait," she shouted after him a moment later, "He's not on this street." Rob turned to give her a curious look, "I already looked. How do you think I got this cold?" She hesitated for a second, "I want to help."

"No, you stay here. I don't want your cold to get worse," he replied and as Raven moved to protest, he added, "Don't make me send Kory up here to take care of you."

Raven glared, but closed the door anyway. During the months that she'd lived there, Rob had become a close friend, but that didn't mean he was afraid to hand out threats. Once when Wally had been sick and protested having to stay in all day, Rob had sent Kory to look after him. Wally stayed in his apartment an extra week from the experience. It seemed that Kory had some "extreme" remedies for a virus, having some medicine recipes from her home country.

Suddenly feeling exhausted, Raven glanced down at the empty mug that was clenched in her hand and then towards the hallway leading to her bedroom. After allowing her options to play through her head for a moment, Raven placed the mug into the sink, took a warm shower and then headed back to bed. Maybe if she felt better in a few hours, she'd join Rob on his search.

"I should have just let you stay with us," Rob muttered to himself, as the person he wished to say it to wasn't present, "Especially if I knew that it was going to storm."

The air was still fresh with the smell of rain and the sky remained overcast. However, the threat of any further weather activity had passed. Small bits of blue sky were visible, but it would be a while before the hue overtook the gray. Rob looked at his watch and cursed; he would have to leave for work in just under an hour.

Gar groggily opened his eyes that same morning, squinting harshly in the dim light that assailed his eyes. Feeling damp and uncomfortable, he shoved the blanket off of himself, but took notice that it seemed heavier than it had the night before. He glanced at it in displeasure, as it had soaked up a good amount of water during the night. He doubted that it would dry in time for the upcoming darkness he'd have to endure.

He cast his gaze back towards the apartments, wondering if he should head back and beg for Lance's forgiveness. Then again, Lance would probably never forgive him. In fact, Lance more than likely used everything as an excuse to kick him out, not bothering to think about the consequences of his actions.

Gar sat up slowly and quickly discovered the nauseous feeling creeping up his stomach from lack of food the day before. That and the slow throbbing headache, which would hit him at full blast in just moments. The slight dizziness also provided proof.

He groaned and stood to his feet, shuffling across the concrete to the opening of the pavilion. The park appeared to be deserted, as the storm had probably driven people away. However, here and there a couple walked hand in hand or children gathered at the small playgrounds scattered throughout the area. Some people arrived walking their dogs, keeping with the ritual of their day. Now, if only one of them was somebody he recognized.

"Garfield," a voice called out and at first, Gar was sure that it was a hallucination. Nobody called him Garfield anymore…well, except, "Garfield! We have been worried about you." It was Kory, naturally, "Are you all right?"

He turned to look at her, but was surprised when he saw not one, but two of her images staring back at him. He blinked slowly, but still the two remained. Gar tried to nod, but could only weakly do so. When he stumbled forward slightly, Kory was immediately there to steady him, "I know just where to take you." Then, with her arm around him to provide balance, they stepped back towards the apartments.


End file.
